I have been reading a lot of articles that are gushingly enthusiastic about colonizing Mars.
Haven’t these people seen the movie Total Recall?
The little boy inside of me that treasures our space program, revels in those lofty dreams of colonization. The other side of my personality looks at how much trouble we have here on Earth and recognizes that we already live in the planetary paradise of our solar system. Why then, would we take it for granted?
As I hear all of the projected future opportunities on Mars, I am reminded of Karn Evil 9 by Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Here is a short segment of the lyrics:
Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends
We’re so glad you could attend, come inside, come inside
There behind a glass stands a real blade of grass
Be careful as you pass, move along, move along.
Most poignant of the lyrics to this incredibly long song, is the ending in which man is facing off against artificial intelligence. All of this was science fiction in 1973 when we were listening to this album. Now, it seems more prescient than ever. Will man ultimately face artificial intelligence as its ultimate enemy?
Man: I am all there is
AI: Negative! Primitive! Limited! I let you live!
Man: But I gave you life
AI: What else could you do?
Man: To do what was right
AI: I’m perfect! Are you?
The end of that song always left us with goosebumps. Is this the future that we are facing?
The massive escalation into artificial intelligence, paired with the colonization of Mars, is no longer science fiction, it is now, chapters in history.
Brian Weiner 